Pico-Union - how safe? (2014, live, price)

[dustin183]

I'm looking at some office space for my new startup business. Don't need anything fancy, but don't want anything too run down or raw either, just some average office space, about 2000 sq ft.
I found this cool space (the owner is currently remodeling) on Venice Blvd, just a couple minutes west of downtown in Pico-union (a few blocks east of Hoover).

The space is great but the area I'm not so sure of. I've been reading that it was/is a hotbed of gang activity. But I'm wondering if now (May 2014) if that is still the case, or if it's mellowed down to a level where I shouldn't be concered.

Please, if anyone has an info/thoughts on this I would appreciate it.

I live downtown so I'm trying to find something close. There's another space I like which is downtown at 9th and Broadway but it's about double the price as the pico-union space (pico is $1/sf, downtown is $2/sf). I like the actual layout of the pico space better too, but there's not much (food/coffee/etc) in walking distance. But it's very convenient to freeways/downtown/USC/ktown.